During his October 2024 general conference address on Jesus Christ’s return, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints quoted Doctrine and Covenants 84:88.
“Please listen to this promise of Jesus Christ to you,” he said, and then quoted: “I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”
President Nelson continued: “There is no limit to the Savior’s capacity to help you. His incomprehensible suffering in Gethsemane and on Calvary was for you. His infinite Atonement is for you. I urge you to devote time each week — for the rest of your life — to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”
This is just one recent example of how President Nelson has used the Doctrine and Covenants to testify of the Savior Jesus Christ’s divine mission, the power of the priesthood, the importance of making and keeping covenants, and the correct name of the Church.
With Latter-day Saints throughout the Church studying the Doctrine and Covenants this year, here are some examples of when the Lord’s Prophet, President Nelson, has utilized this book of scripture in his teaching in recent years.
Spiritual empowerment from the temple
“Joseph Smith’s dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple is a tutorial about how the temple spiritually empowers you and me to meet the challenges of life in these last days. I encourage you to study that prayer, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 109. That dedicatory prayer, which was received by revelation, teaches that the temple is ‘a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.’”
— “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” April 2024 general conference
‘Hear Him’
“The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is hearken (Doctrine and Covenants 1:1). It means ‘to listen with the intent to obey.’ To hearken means to ‘hear Him’ — to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. In those two words — ‘Hear Him’ — God gives us the pattern for success, happiness and joy in this life. We are to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them and heed what He has told us.”
— “Hear Him,” April 2020 general conference
Priesthood power
“I entreat you to study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power. You might begin with Doctrine and Covenants sections 84 and 107. Those sections will lead you to other passages. The scriptures and teachings by modern prophets, seers and revelators are filled with these truths. As your understanding increases and as you exercise faith in the Lord and His priesthood power, your ability to draw upon this spiritual treasure that the Lord has made available will increase. As you do so, you will find yourselves better able to help create eternal families that are united, sealed in the temple of the Lord, and full of love for our Heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ.”
— “Spiritual Treasures,” October 2019 general conference
‘Pray with an eternal perspective’
“Unfailing faith is fortified through prayer. Your heartfelt pleadings are important to Him. Think of the intense and impassioned prayers of the Prophet Joseph Smith during his dreadful days of incarceration in Liberty Jail. The Lord responded by changing the Prophet’s perspective. He said, ‘Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good’ (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7).
“If we pray with an eternal perspective, we need not wonder if our most tearful and heartfelt pleadings are heard. This promise from the Lord is recorded in section 98 of the Doctrine and Covenants: ‘Your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord … and are recorded with this seal and testament — the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted. Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord’ (Doctrine and Covenants 98:2-3).
“The Lord chose His strongest words to reassure us. Seal. Testament. Sworn. Decreed. Immutable covenant. Brothers and sisters, believe Him. God will heed your sincere and heartfelt prayers, and your faith will be strengthened.”
— “Face the Future With Faith,” April 2011 general conference

The correct name of the Church
“As we commemorate the event that was launched in 1820, it is important to remember that while we revere Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, this is not the church of Joseph Smith, nor is it the church of Mormon. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. He decreed exactly what His Church should be called: ‘For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4).”
— “Opening the Heavens for Help,” April 2020 general conference
‘Many additional revelations’
“The Book of Mormon is the centerpiece of the Restoration. It was written, preserved and transmitted under the Lord’s direction. It was translated ‘by the gift and power of God’ (Doctrine and Covenants 135:3). The book of Doctrine and Covenants contains many additional revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Through him we have received more pages of scripture than we have from any other prophet. In what must have been a wistful moment, he said to the Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois, ‘I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught.’”
— “Catch the Wave,” April 2013 general conference
‘If we are prepared we shall not fear’
“We have been promised that ‘if [we] are prepared [we] shall not fear’ (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30). This assurance has profound implications today. The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era.”
— “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” October 2021 general conference
‘All that God has’
“The pure doctrine of Christ is powerful. It changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it in his or her life. The doctrine of Christ helps us find and stay on the covenant path. Staying on that narrow but well-defined path will ultimately qualify us to receive all that God has (see Doctrine and Covenants 78:17-18). Nothing could be worth more than all our Father has.”
— “Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine and Pure Revelation,” October 2021 general conference
‘Forgive all men’
“It can be painfully difficult to let go of anger that feels so justified. It can seem impossible to forgive those whose destructive actions have hurt the innocent. And yet, the Savior admonished us to ‘forgive all men’ (Doctrine and Covenants 64:10). We are followers of the Prince of Peace. Now more than ever, we need the peace only He can bring. How can we expect peace to exist in the world when we are not individually seeking peace and harmony? Brothers and sisters, I know what I’m suggesting is not easy. But followers of Jesus Christ should set the example for all the world to follow. I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives.”
— “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” April 2022 general conference
‘Say nothing but repentance unto this generation’
“Recently I have found myself drawn to the Lord’s instruction given through the Prophet Joseph Smith: ‘Say nothing but repentance unto this generation’ (Doctrine and Covenants 6:9). This declaration is often repeated throughout scripture. It prompts an obvious question: ‘Does everyone need to repent?’ The answer is yes. Too many people consider repentance as punishment — something to be avoided except in the most serious circumstances. But this feeling of being penalized is engendered by Satan. He tries to block us from looking to Jesus Christ, who stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify and sanctify us.”
— “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” April 2019 general conference